Five modeling ideas from a General Electric Dash 9-44CW

Photo of six-axle road locomotive on sunny day

Five modeling ideas from a General Electric Dash 9-44CW: In late June 2022, my wife, kids, and I visited my brother- and mother-in-law in Milbank, S.D. The parsonage they live in conveniently overlooks the BNSF Railway Appleton Subdivision, which runs between its namesake in Minnesota and Aberdeen, S.D. When I woke up on the morning […]

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What color to paint roads on my layout?

A street in front of a commercial block on the HO scale MR&T shows fading, wear, and patches

Q:  In the ’70s I built an HO scale layout for my sons. Not knowing any better, I used flat black paint for my roads and streets. Now my sons are grown up, and I want to get back in the hobby with a new layout. Can you tell me what color to paint roads […]

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Two workers killed when hit by PATCO train on bridge

View from side of bridge with rapid-transit train below and Philadelphia in distance

CAMDEN, N.J. — Two construction workers were killed Friday night when stuck by a PATCO train on the Ben Franklin Bridge linking Philadelphia and Camden, the Camden Courier-Post reported. The workers were struck by a westbound train on the PATCO (Port Authority Transit Corp.) Speedline, which operates between Philadelphia and Lindenwold, N.J. A Delaware River […]

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General Steel Castings 58’-4” depressed-center flatcar with 21-foot long lower deck from ClassOneModelWorks.com

Drawing of red depressed-center flatcar

General Steel Castings 58’-4” depressed-center flatcar with 21-foot long lower deck Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $64.99 Era: 1950s to 1990s (depending on scheme) Manufacturer: ClassOneModelWorks.com, 8610 NW 107th Terrace, Kansas City, MO 64153; 816-243-0044; ClassOneModelWorks.com General Steel Castings heavy duty flatcar features: Dual-end brake system components See-through etched-metal grating on upper decks as appropriate Road-specific body, […]

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Brightline marks topping off of new Aventura station

Aerial view of passenger station under construction with pedestrian bridge

AVENTURA, Fla. — Brightline and contractor Lemartec have announced the topping off for the passenger operator’s new Aventura station, which occurred in the early-morning hours of Oct. 8 with the placement of a 131-foot-long pedestrian skybridge over the Harriet Tubman Highway (formerly West Dixie Highway) and the double-track Florida East Coast Railway main line used […]

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The Roundhouse: Episode 15

Hal Miller, Jim Wrinn, and Rob McGonigal

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Host Hal Miller welcomes Trains Editor Jim Wrinn and Classic Trains Editor Rob McGonigal on The Roundhouse set to talk railroad preservation, including insightful banter regarding stations, steam locomotives, and even vintage diesel power. […]

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Former Guilford and Pan Am president Dave Fink dies at 86

Headshot of man in suit

David “Dave” A. Fink, who shaped New England railroading as president of Guilford Transportation Industries, died on Oct. 11 after a period of declining health. Fink, 86, began his railroad career as a clerk for the Pennsylvania Railroad and later worked for Penn Central. The fourth-generation railroader teamed up with Timothy Mellon to buy the […]

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John Callahan’s HO scale East Berkshire Branch

Screen shot from a video of two maroon-and-yellow diesels pulling trains through a verdant HO scale landscape on John Callahan’s HO scale East Berkshire Branch

John Callahan’s HO scale East Berkshire Branch was featured in Great Model Railroads 2023. This is John’s second New England-themed railroad with that name; the layout includes several segments salvaged from his previous version, which was published in the March 2013 Model Railroader. For another look at John’s layout, watch his video on YouTube. You […]

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Gunderson Auto-Max articulated auto rack from Athearn

Drawing of articulated auto rack car with red "Auto-Max" lettering

Gunderson Auto-Max articulated auto rack Scale: HO (1:87:1) Price: $74.99 Era: 1999+ to 2016+ (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com Gunderson Auto-Max articulated auto rack cars feature: Separate, factory-applied ladders, brake rigging, stirrup steps, and handbrake details Simulated corrugated roof Full articulation with flexible diaphragm […]

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